Back to School shoes of extreme importance

At this time of year when parents are looking at preparing their children for the new school year every care should be taken to ensure the child is fitted with correct foot wear, says Australian Podiatry Association (Vic) President, Matt Dilnot.

 “Parents show due care and attention to a child’s teeth, eyes and other parts of the body. They teach their young ones the benefits of washing, brushing, grooming and general well-being but there appears to be neglect about their feet which are still developing and do carry the body through a lifetime.”

 Children’s feet develop most rapidly within the first twelve years of their life. In reality by the time a child reaches 12 years of age his/her feet are about 90 percent of its adult length. Neglect of their feet during the early years can lead to problems later on in life and possibly in other parts of the body, such as the legs and back.

 “The shoes children wear have a major influence on the way their feet develop. Not all feet are the same, hence special care should be taken when fitting a child with shoes”, Mr Dilnot said. “Children spend a considerable part of their early years in school shoes, making it very important to have the correct shoe fitting from the outset”.

 When purchasing shoes for the new school year, for general and/or sports wear, podiatrists recommend that parents seek out a retail store with staff fully trained in the fitting of juvenile foot wear and, if a child is prescribed orthotic inserts by their podiatrist, parents should consult the podiatrist for advice concerning the correct foot wear for the child. 

Podiatrists, as trained foot care specialists recommend the following when purchasing new shoes for children:

§         The child is in a standing position for parents to tie laces and check shoe width.

§         Check the length of the shoe from the longest toe.

§         Never buy shoes that are too large in the hope of economic gain through them lasting more than one year.

§         Check shoes for flexibility at the ball of the foot.

§         A shoe’s heel cup and arch regions should be firm and not compress with pressure.